Am I Politically Correct?

[Holly2234 66]

I've never tried talking to one either. My husband was asked if we had Easter and another person asked if we had Thanksgiving in the UK.

We got asked if we have toilet seats in the UK once What a thing to think about!

[rocks 494]

We got asked if we have toilet seats in the UK once What a thing to think about!

I love it when people try and do an impression of a Brit they end up sounding like ####### Van ####### in Mary Poppins. "Do I sound like that to you?"

[Holly2234 66]

I love it when people try and do an impression of a Brit they end up sounding like ####### Van ####### in Mary Poppins. "Do I sound like that to you?"

Hahaha! In reality we sound nothing like the Brits do in the films. Theres so many accents on this small island that its impossible to pick one and say we all sound like it

[Sayha or bust. 71]

First, you didn't quote me so I didn't see this till now. Secondly, I said "it just seems a bit rude to be so pedantic about it, especially as it's YOU who's doing the explaining and not her. If it were her it would be different" so yes, if it's important to HER and SHE was explaining, it's different, but for him, and for most people, it's really not that big a deal to specify.

As i said (and several others) though, nationality is not the same as ethnicity. To say someone is Vietnamese to most people only means "someone from Vietnam". I don't think any deeper than that... Ethnicity is a totally different kettle of fish. I will admit though if someone asks for deeper I like to specify state I'm Victorian, that makes a difference

Why are you getting so bent out of shape? Why wouldn't I talk if the question was brought up and my wife's not around? As I pointed out my wife when people ask her,she always mention Khmer, obviously it's very important to her. If you read a later post from me,you also would of seen how I stood corrected when one of her friends from her village who now lives in Iowa said "Please do not refer to me as Vietnamese". I just wanted to know if I'm correct or is my wife correct if this subject is ever addressed in the future.

I'ts not the topic of discussion to everyone she meets or ask me about my wife. Other Vietnamese can tell by her accent she is of a different Ethnic group. Anyway I appreciate everyone's responses .

[Laveau 67]

I had to google Khmer Krom. So, this group is actually indigenous to the area where they presently live? They were there before the "vietnamese" people migrated/took over? Is that correct? I can't answer your question on what is politically correct or incorrect but I'm happy to have learned something new today! Thanks!

Edited June 3, 2012 by Shal

[Sayha or bust. 71]

I had to google Khmer Krom. So, this group is actually indigenous to the area where they presently live? They were there before the "vietnamese" people migrated/took over? Is that correct? I can't answer your question on what is politically correct or incorrect but I'm happy to have learned something new today! Thanks!

They were there first because that part of Vietnam used to belong to Cambodia pre 1949.

[Darnell 8,478]

I am a Scot. I still refer to myself as British. There's no need to be be specific about it because most people don't give a toss. THOUGH I will admit just about any time I have EVER said British Australian people have assumed "British" actually means English, THEN I correct it.

If you had a chance to vote in any Scottish election this century, I'd expect your answer to be a tad different, with a different focus But it's ok - I tried splaining all about 4 months ago, and it fell flat ..

[Laveau 67]

They were there first because that part of Vietnam used to belong to Cambodia pre 1949.

I read that, too. So, they are genetically closer to present day Cambodians than they are to present day Vietnamese, right?

[Sayha or bust. 71]

I read that, too. So, they are genetically closer to present day Cambodians than they are to present day Vietnamese, right?

From my experience, my wife's village was about 40% Khmer, 55% Vietnamese, and few other Ethnic groups. Khmer's lived in their own sect of town. Most of them farmed while most of the Vietnamese owned businesses in the central part of town. The Krom speak Khmer as there primary language and speak Vietnamese secondary. They also practice Theravada Buddhism which is prevalent in Cambodia. Vietnam is a very diverse county with 56 different Ethnic groups.

I posted this subject also to lean from other VJ's who are in the same situation as my wife so I could educate myself. I in noway tried to shame the Vietnamese and the the Country of Vietnam. I love it and can't wait to spend my vacations there visiting family and to enjoy the future house I plan to build on my wife's family land when I retire

[amyandjorge 76]

It seems your wife has a unique situation (compared to other spouses here).

My husband identifies with an indigenous group but is proudly Honduran. He also gets in a tizzy and corrects people who call him Mexican (which ethnically and linguistically speaking are very similar).

I think if someone asks, you should tell them. If they don't want to know they shouldn't ask about nationality/ethnicity. In your wife's case it's not being 'politically correct', it's just being correct to say she is Khmer Krom from Vietnam. You could always do a combination, her village/family is.... her passport says....

If you (and her) don't explain the difference, who will?

[Stuart and Thea 95]

Vanessa, there are people in this world who live in countries but consider themselves as a separate group of people. Think, for example, of the Kurds. The kurdish person I know wants to say "I am a Kurd from Turkey." He does not want to say he is Turkish. You can decide it's dumb, but it's very important to him. It's totally different from lineage.

In the western world, people have mostly developed identities based on their country. The French feel French, and they speak French. At the time of the French Revolution, however, most people living in France did not speak French or feel French at all. They spoke Catalan, Provençal, Bretagne, Alsatian, whatever. They had to be "taught" that they lived in one country called France and be convinced that they should fight for the cause. They also had to be taught French as a second language.

Over the course of the 19-th century, many European countries worked on developing national identities, just like this. It was largely successful (thought with some notable failures), so much so that you take it for granted. This identity-creation based on nation has not happened over all of the world.

I don't know the OP, but it sounds like his wife does not want to be Vietnamese. It sounds very important to her, and to dismiss it as silly seems very short-sighted. OP, any thoughts on my comment on how to explain politely?

Like someone from Texas claiming they're a Texan when asked during travel instead of saying American. Like someone from Quebec saying Quebecoise instead of Canadian, or someone from Newfoundland saying Newfie. You may hold the nationality of the country you are born in, but there are certain populations in just about every country in the world that are better described by their ethnicity, because the worldly consensus of what they are fits better with that description than purely their nationality. Scot instead of Brit fits perfectly with this, say Brit and people think of England, say Scot, or Welsh, and you'll get a clearer picture of the general assumption of what the person is like. We like to categorize everything. Aboriginals in any society could be better described as separate from their nationality... even though it's stupid, it's true.

I say when people ask where your wife is from, take a moment to open up their minds to the world. Vietnam to me 5 minutes ago, meant Vietnamese. You've cured me of that, so thankyou. Say, my wife is a Kmer. When they say, where's that, say, Kmer people live in Vietnam, they were the aboriginal people before the current people occupied it. (or if that's not exactly correct, then fix how I wrote it to reflect the truth of it.) It's nice for her to have a name for her people. Much better than strictly Aboriginal. I did know a girl in school that always said, I'm a Mohawk not a Canadian, and I always felt it was a little separatist, but older now, I understand how important things like that are, it's an identity...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Since your wife's cultural identity is important to her, I think it is perfectly fine for her to request her being identified as, "She is Khmer Krom from Vietnam" if someone asks where she is from.

In Canada, Quebecois (French speaking Quebec born citizens of Canada) have no trouble saying they are Quebecois, not Canadian, even when they travel outside of Canada. For themselves, they are Quebecois first and Canadians second, even though most people identify themselves in the opposite order. It is perfectly fine when an area does have a distinct cultural identity that the culture itself feels is separate from their geographical boundaries, for members of that culture/society to identify themselves first through their cultural identity, and then through their geo-political identification.

Heck, here in the US every time I see that part on an application form that asks my ethnic background I am always tempted (and occasionally have given in to temptation) to write in next to "White" - "Northern European genetic heritage via Canada". (It's actually illegal to ask that question on any type of application other than a census form in Canada so I do notice it every time it is asked).

So, while your wife lived in the country that now makes up Vietnam and has a Vietnamese passport, her identitification is Khmer Krom, first; Vietnam second. I believe this is what you should say - or use the example of 'Maryland - everyone looks and talks like me there!" quoted above. That was a great response .

[Xanax 349]

I've never tried talking to one either. My husband was asked if we had Easter and another person asked if we had Thanksgiving in the UK.

Yeh I have been asked by a few American's if we have thanksgiving (American thanksgiving) in Australia :S